Trijn van Leemput (c. 1530–1607) was a Dutch heroine of the Eighty Years' War against

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. According to local legend in

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Net ...

, she led a large group of women on May 2, 1577, to the castle of

Vredenburg Vredenburg is a town of the Cape West Coast in the Western Cape province of South Africa. "Vrede" is Afrikaans for peace. It is the transportation and commercial hub of the West Coast area and administrative centre of the Saldanha Bay Local Mun ...

and gave the signal to begin demolishing the castle. The castle of Vredenburg had been built by emperor

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infa ...

after annexing Utrecht in 1528, and was manned by a Spanish garrison. On November 8, 1576, the

Pacification of Ghent The Pacification of Ghent, signed on 8 November 1576, was an alliance between the provinces of the Habsburg Netherlands. The main objectives were to remove Spanish mercenaries who had made themselves hated by all sides due to their plundering, and ...

was signed and the Eighty Years' War began. The Dutch rebels besieged the Vredenburg fortress and, following negotiations, the garrison abandoned the castle in February 1577. The citizens of Utrecht demanded that the abandoned castle be demolished, but the city government would not allow it, so on May 2 the Utrechters, led by Trijn van Leemput, took matters into their own hands. The events that followed were recorded by contemporaries Arnold Buchelius (1565–1641) and

Johan van Beverwijck Johan van Beverwijck or Johannes Beverovicius (Dordrecht, 17 November 1594 - 19 January 1647) was a Dutch doctor and writer. Van Beverwijck was interested in new developments and contributed to medical science with his own experiments. Biography ...

(1594–1647). Later historians have cast doubt on the historical accuracy of the tale. Most likely it is part legend and partly based on fact. Trijn van Leemput is said to have gathered a large group of women and marched on the castle, carrying a makeshift banner made out of a blue apron tied to a broom. At the castle, she signalled for the demolition to begin by removing some bricks from the castle walls. The other Utrechters followed suit, and began breaking down the walls using axes, hammers and pick-axes. She is also said to have fought two Spanish soldiers, who were lodged at her house, at an earlier occasion. After catching them stealing, she threw one down the stairs and threatened the other with a knife.De Dom Digitaal
Archival research has shown that Trijn van Leemput really existed and was born around 1530, probably near

Vreeswijk Vreeswijk is a former village and municipality in the Dutch province of Utrecht. The municipality merged with Jutphaas in 1971, and is now the southern half of the town of Nieuwegein. The former village was located on the Lek River, near wher ...

. She and her husband, brewer and miller Jan Jacob van Leemput, moved into a large house on the

Oudegracht The Oudegracht, or "old canal", runs through the center of Utrecht, the Netherlands. It starts in the southeast of the city. Here the Kromme Rijn (the original main bed of the Rhine river) and the Vaartse Rijn (a medieval canal reconnecting Utrec ...

canal in Utrecht in 1555. The family was one of the city's most prominent families. Trijn's husband was a guild leader and member of the city government, and was one of the four deputies who negotiated with

William the Silent William the Silent (24 April 153310 July 1584), also known as William the Taciturn (translated from nl, Willem de Zwijger), or, more commonly in the Netherlands, William of Orange ( nl, Willem van Oranje), was the main leader of the Dutch Re ...

on the conditions for Utrecht's entry into the

, the Dutch coalition against Spain. Trijn van Leemput died in

. As early as the 17th century, Trijn van Leemput was depicted in various paintings. A statue of her, pick-axe in hand, was erected on , near her home, in 1955.

Sources

Instituut voor Nederlandse geschiedenis

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leemput, Trijn van 1530s births Year of birth uncertain 1607 deaths People from Utrecht (city) Dutch people of the Eighty Years' War (United Provinces) History of Utrecht (city) Women in 16th-century warfare Dutch people of the Eighty Years' War Women in war in the Netherlands